Gymnast Marian Dragulescu: I'll take 2-3 weeks of 'prison' in Tokyo for gold medal

The multiple world and European champion in artistic gymnastics Marian Dragulescu said, in an interview granted to AGERPRES, commenting on the isolation that all participants will be subjected to at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the context of the pandemic, that he is willing to accept 2-3 weeks of "prison" for the gold medal. The athlete is after the Olympic title, the only one missing from his track record, and maintains that the chances to obtain it are just as high as those of any other participant in the competition. "No, I did not prepare anything special for this competition. I will work to win through execution, through the accuracy of the jumps," said the gymnast. Marian Dragulescu, one of the veterans of the Tokyo Olympic Games at his 40 years of age, believes that age is not a barrier in accomplishing his objective. He believes that the fitness level on the day of the competition and health are the most important things at the moment of the competition. The Tokyo Olympics may be the last in Marian Dragulescu's career, as he mentioned that he will have no regrets as he gave everything to gymnastics in the past 33 years. "We will adapt and we will try to not forget why we're there, to compete as best as possible and to return home with the medals on our necks. I accept the two-three week 'prison' time for the gold medal. Not to mention that we have been for quite some time in quarantine quarters in Izvorani... we are in a bubble here and we are getting used to what isolation means. Only the medals remain. The satisfaction will be huge. We won't even remember we were locked up in this period if things go the way we want to," said Dragulescu. Marian Dragulescu will compete in Tokyo in the vault competition. He is one of three representatives of Romanian gymnastics together with Maria Larisa Holbura (all-around) and Larisa Andreea Iordache (all-around). Romania's team for the Tokyo Olympic Games (July 23 - August 8) comprises 100 athletes, 45 women, 55 men, in 17 sports disciplines. Romania's representatives will compete in swimming, running, rowing ,football, artistic gymnastic, 3x3 basketball, cycling, Greek-Roman wrestling, sports shooting, kayaking, table tennis, boxing, fencing, triathlon, judo, archery and tennis. AGERPRES (RO - author: Marius Tone, editor: Mihai Tenea; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Simona Iacob)